How Pumpkins Resonate in our Lives.

This post, recipe, and photos were contributed by Graduate Assistant, Martina Di Folco.



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No food signals Fall arrival better than pumpkins. As the weather cools down and leaves fall from trees, a deep energy of joy follows. This time of the year is packed with fun events! Entertaining activities such as apple picking, pumpkin patch, leaves foliage decor and fall festivals make this season memorable. And not only for children! 

Pumpkins are the main character of Fall. Either whole or carved, such colorful ornaments sitting on the front porch of our houses and indoors, embellish the scene and create a cozy atmosphere. Other than that, pumpkins also play a central role on our table, making our meals and dessert so delicious and flavorful.



The origin and use of Pumpkins

But how did pumpkins become a staple ingredient in our recipes during this particular time of the year? Being one of the first crops to be domesticated in America (even before potatoes!), Native Americans used them for thousands of years. Apart from being consumed roasted in their meals, pumpkins were also used for medicinal purposes and to produce mattresses with their dried fibers.

This fruit (yes, it is a fruit!) loaded with nutrients was then introduced by Colonists into their diet. Whether in the form of stews, soups, and, finally, desserts, pumpkins were enjoyed constantly during frigid winters, especially when other crops' harvest failed. 

The sweet tooth of some early settlers, together with the arrival of spices from around the world set the stage for the creation of the famous holiday treat that we all know today: the pumpkin pie! Though initially not in the form of pastry, settlers first removed seeds, then roasted the fruit whole in hot ashes, filled with honey, butter, milk, and spices. The set of spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg) included in the original recipe gave rise to what we know today as pumpkin spice flavor. The scent of such a unique aroma coming out from coffee shops and bakeries is what warms the soul and evokes the spirit of this glorious time of the year.

How the Market of Pumpkin Products evolved

In the last decades, food products made out of pumpkin and flavored with pumpkin spices have become a staple of Fall. A year-long awaited ingredient which fills the shelves of every supermarket, in the form of comforting pastries, pies, yogurt, ice cream and even coffee!

Why does everyone (me included!) rush to buy every possible item containing pumpkin and pumpkin spices? What makes us so excited when we see our coffee shop selling pumpkin spice beverages? Where does this mania come from?

A Study Explains..

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According to some researchers at John Hopkins University, it seems that there exists an association between the sight of pumpkins and the smell of the spices with our emotions and memories. As our brain likes to connect memories to senses, when we see pumpkins back at the grocery stores, our mind goes back to past experiences. Whether it was the day when we went pumpkin patches with our family, or pumpkin carving with our school friends, just the sight of the pumpkin makes us experience the memories of those joyful moments. Not to mention the scent of pumpkin spice.

Does it not bring us back to times when we enjoyed a tasty slice of pumpkin pie with our loved ones? Don’t you suddenly feel comfort and happiness? Each of these memories creates a connection and an emotional response to this season which pumpkins serve as a symbol of.

Just an Emotional thing?

The need to buy and enjoy pumpkins products is not only related to an emotional thing. Marketing does its part as well!

The seasonality of pumpkin and pumpkin spice products gives customers enough time to miss them, which creates an expectation for their return in the Fall season. Being both marketable and able to create emotional responses, these products have given rise to the phenomenon of what has been named as the Pumpkin spice mania.

Here is a hearty pumpkin recipe! Enjoy! 


Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Bacon

Serves three

Ingredients

  • 2-3 pounds of pumpkin or butternut squash (whole weight)

  • 2 slices of bacon

  • 2 cups vegetable broth

  • ½ onion 

  • 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tbsp of half and half

  • a pinch of salt and pepper


Method

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Line a sheet pan with foil for easy cleanup

  2. Peel the pumpkin or squash using a potato peeler, remove seeds and cut into chunks

  3. Cut the half onion in two pieces

  4. Roast onion and pumpkin or squash chunks for  30 minutes, flipping halfway through

  5. Once the ingredients cool to room temperature, put them in the blender and add your vegetable broth, oil, salt and pepper and blend until smooth. (Leave small chunks if desired!)

  6. Warm the soup over medium heat until heated through

  7. Add half and half and stir well. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed

  8. Cook bacon over medium heat in a medium pan until crisp and golden brown

  9. Serve in a bowl, garnish with the crunchy bacon and a spoon of half and half

  10. Enjoy!

Works Cited:

StoriesChatham UniversityComment